Dear God, it's beautiful!
Eric | Minneapolis,MN USA | 04/27/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've been following JZ (the UK JZ that is - James Zabiela!) for a number of years now, ever since I stumbled upon his excellent 2002 BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix. One thing I noticed early on is that you can tell that James is a true music lover by the tracks he carefully and painstakingly (I'm making an assumption here!) selects for his mixes. Both discs are filled with great tunes so it's hard to single out just a few without mentioning them all but some of the tracks that really struck me were by Pedram, R3volve and of course JZ's own 'Burnt Bridges'. 'Burnt Bridges' is a killer track and I hate to sound clichéd, but it's got an awesome "haunting melody" that sounds very emotional. (OK, so I cried during the movie E.T. -- I'll admit it!) If you liked this CD you should also check out JZ's recent April 2010 Essential Mix and his previous 2009 Renaissance Mix CD (the one with the Lizard, or dare I say... Rave Lizard (dot com!) on the cover). Both are expertly constructed and layered to create a memorable listening experience that you're going to want to repeat over and over."
James' Best!
D. R. Martens | Scottsdale, AZ | 04/21/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"By far this is James' most consistent mix. He in fact mentions how his intention was for people to consider it one single piece of music. So, in theory and reality, you have a true 2 hour set. People keep expecting James to drop a mix that reflects his club sets...that may happen, just not yet. This mix has elements of breakbeat and techhouse, but they're all intimately woven with subtle tracks that make this release very diverse. One could really avoid all genre labels. It bangs and sedates. I haven't been able to quit listening to it, simply because he keeps your attention, there aren't any lulls or tracks that play out too long. Why not a 5star? Mainly because it's a preferential thing, I tend to go for more experimental James. That said, if I could give it a 4.5 I would. You'll enjoy."
Track Listings (27) - Disc #1